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WATCH • VOICES ON THE TRAIL

Commissioner Janice Lucas on What's at Stake in Florida

By David Jolly Published: 2026-09-09 Last updated: 2026-09-09
Commissioner Janice Lucas speaking about democracy and community

Key moments

0:19

"It's going to take people like Gwen Graham and David Jolly to help us bring the country back to the center, back to our ideals and back to democracy."

0:42

"There was a time when the election was over, and those who were elected worked together, worked across the aisles to do what was good for the city, the state, the nation."

1:28

"Some of the vestiges from segregation are still at work today in our zoning, in our ability to purchase homes or buy homes in particular neighborhoods."

Context

Panama City Commissioner Janice Lucas speaks about democracy, community, and the work still ahead. Her message centers on leadership that understands both the progress made and the distance yet to travel.

What's said

Commissioner Lucas names the stakes clearly: ideals are on the line, and it takes people who will work across difference to bring the state back to what it's meant to be. Progress isn't a completed task. It's a course correction we make together.

Transcript

Verified transcript of the video above.

0:00 Hi, I'm Janice Lucas, Panama City Commissioner Ward 2, a lifelong resident of Florida. I was born here in Panama City, raised here, and I'm glad now to be a part of the community that's helping to make a difference. Democracy is at stake.
0:19 The vision and the ideals of this country are on the line, and it's going to take people like Gwen Graham and David Jolly to help us bring the country back to the center, back to our ideals and back to democracy. So I was telling Gwen that there was a time when the election was over, and those who were elected worked together, worked across the aisles to do what was good for the city, the state, the nation.
0:42 And that's what's missing, and that's the danger that we're in now of losing the pursuit of the ideals. We always have had a long way to go, but I love how the late Barbara Jordan said that when the Constitution was written, I wasn't in it, but through amendment and amendment, we are striving toward and reaching we the people.
1:07 In the last decade, we've turned the other way, and that's a course correction that we need to make, and now is the time to make it. So we absolutely have not corrected the mistakes of 300 years in this country, and it's important that we elect people who understand that there is still very much work to do.
1:28 David Jolly and Gwen Graham understand that. Some of the vestiges from segregation are still at work today in our zoning, in our ability to purchase homes or buy homes in particular neighborhoods. So there were policies at the federal, state, and local levels that created disparities that we now still see.
1:51 And so we need to elect folk who understand that there very much is still work to do. They're the only hope we have. If elected, when elected, David Jolly and Gwen Graham will make the difference in our state.

Related questions

What does Commissioner Lucas mean by "working across the aisles"?

She describes a time when elected officials put results ahead of party. The work was about what served the community, not who won the argument. That spirit is missing now. See the video at 0:42 for her full take.

How do historic policies still affect housing today?

Commissioner Lucas names zoning and neighborhood segregation as vestiges of discriminatory policies. These weren't accidents. They were choices made at every level of government, and their effects are still visible in who can afford to live where. See the video at 1:28.

What does "course correction" mean in this context?

A recognition that progress isn't linear. The country has moved backward in the last decade, and it takes intentional leadership to return to the pursuit of its ideals. Barbara Jordan's framing guides the point: we the people is still being reached for. See the video at 1:07.

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